Protecting the watershed protects drinking water

5:24 PM,
Nov. 30, 2013

Participants take part in a rain barrel workshop held during a past Watershed Awareness Month in Dutchess County. Rain barrels are one of many ways to also minimize reliance on groundwater for home landscaping, thereby protecting our drinking water sources.

Written by

Lori Quillen

Freshwater is essential to life, and healthy watersheds protect freshwater resources. Simply put, a watershed is an area of land that drains into a body of water, such as a lake or stream. About half of the rainwater makes its steady journey downward, through the watershed, where it will slowly recharge groundwater and flow into lakes, streams, the Hudson River, and beyond.

At the Cary Institute, our staff has investigated the ecology of watersheds for more than 25 years. Field sites range from the shorelines of the Hudson River to the streets of urban Baltimore. One thread is constant: Among ...